Riverbend Ramblings

http://riverbendramblings.blogspot.com
~Riverbend Ramblings~
The days are long, but the years are short.
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Monday, May 05, 2014
Three month recap
It's been three months since my last post; definitely time for an update! Life has been good, and the days have been very full. I needed to step away from the blogging world for a little while, but I missed it! Here are just a few of the highlights that I wanted to share:
 
 
February...
Bryn turned ten and had her first sleepover with a few friends. Thanks to tickets from a generous friend, we visited all four Disney parks in one day. Whew! Shay turned Sweet Sixteen on Valentine's Day. One of her best friends that she met at music camp last summer traveled all the way from Texas to celebrate with her. We helped my dad celebrate his 80th birthday.
March...
I had another birthday (I have to figure out how to stop having those!), Steven and I celebrated our 19th anniversary, and we traveled to West Virginia for spring break. I drove in the snow for the first time, and the kids made a snowman that looked a lot like Olaf.
 
April...
Many afternoons were spent at the softball field with Bryn. Her team was undefeated! Shay attended her high school banquet. All three of the girls had their annual piano evaluations at Student Day. Steven preached at a Bible conference, and we were able to spend a few quiet days at the beach.

May...
The next few weeks are going to be busy ones. Big things are happening. Details to come...

 
 

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Written at Monday, May 05, 2014 by Paula.
3 comments
Wednesday, February 05, 2014
Lil' Nut Turns 10
Happy Birthday to my baby Brynie-Boo! She chose her first-ever Big Mac for her birthday lunch at school and shared cupcakes with her class. We're waiting until Friday night to have her party. Love you, Bryn!
 

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Written at Wednesday, February 05, 2014 by Paula.
7 comments
Friday, January 31, 2014
Friday's Fave Five ~ 1.31.14

Here we are at the end of the first month of 2014. I hope the next eleven months don't go by as quickly as January has! I'm ready to link up with Susanne at Living to Tell the Story and share some good things from my week.
 
1. Each year we have a very special "big day" at our church. We invite as many folks as we can and have a huge party on the football field after church with games, inflatables, and free food for everyone. The goal of this big day is to get the gospel out to as many people as possible. We had good weather, terrific volunteers, many visitors, and everyone (especially all the children) had so much fun. We had 3,219 in attendance on Anniversary Sunday, and, best of all, over 300 people trusted Christ as their Saviour. I was busy running around most of the morning, so I had a chance to snap one quick picture. This is the 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade children's church. I think there were over 325 kids in this class alone, and we had classes for every age group all around the property. I'm thankful for our church!
2. While most of the South experienced bitter cold and even snow this week in areas that rarely get any, we were spared freezing temperatures here in central Florida. I read so many reports of people in Georgia, Alabama, and other states being stranded away from home and of children stuck on buses or in school buildings due to the weather. I cannot imagine how scary that would be. I'm glad that I have a warm house and a cozy bed to sleep in tonight.
 
3. Hope's basketball team won a game this week, and Hope scored two points! Her team is made up of 6th, 7th, and 8th graders who were all first-time basketball players this year. A couple of months ago, the girls didn't know one end of the court from the other, but they have worked hard and have improved tremendously. Their coach has to be one of the most patient men on the planet. He had to start from scratch teaching them the basics, so he deserves a lot of credit for what the girls have accomplished. They have two games left, and then the season will be over.
4. All four of the kids made the Honor Roll at school. Bryn, Hope, and Shay all made straight A's, and Case had all A's and B's. We don't expect our kids to have perfect grades, but we do expect them to do their best. God blessed them all with good brains, and I'm glad they're using them.
 
5. Steven and I had a chance to visit several antique stores in a small town a little over an hour from where we live. As always, I was on the prowl for vintage Pyrex. Several stores had pieces that caught my eye, but the prices were ridiculous. I about fell over when I spotted an Ivy Chip & Dip set (with the holder) from 1964. It was the first chip & dip promotional set that I had come across. Ivy is not one of my favorite Pyrex patterns, but I think it looks pretty on the Cinderella bowls. The price was reasonable, but Steven had to talk me into buying it because it was still rather expensive. The vendor ended up giving us a ten percent discount, so I walked out the door with rare set to add to my collection and a smile on my face.
 
 

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Written at Friday, January 31, 2014 by Paula.
11 comments
Friday, January 17, 2014
Friday's Fave Five ~ 1.17.14
I'm linking up with Susanne at Living to Tell the Story to share five favorites from this week. You can join us!
1. My son, Case, turned 14 this week. In the last few months he has really hit a growing spurt and is starting to look more like a young man and less like a boy. We took him out to eat at his favorite steakhouse for his birthday. He ordered a huge ribeye (since we only let him do that on his birthday) and ate the whole thing. I love my boy!
2. My mom's birthday is the same day as Case's. My mom is a wonderful lady, and I'm thankful for the love and support she has unconditionally given me my entire life. She's a terrific grandma, too!
 
3. Steven and I enjoyed a breakfast date and visited a few antique stores. We have fun searching for treasures together.
 
4. Hope and Case both had basketball games this week, and Case's team scored a victory. They have a young team and a first-year coach, so every win means a lot to them.
 
5. I started exercising regularly and changed the way I eat back in September. In the last four months, I've lost 15 pounds, and my PBF (percent body fat) is down 7%. I'm pretty much right where I need to be with my weight now, and I think I'm in the best shape I've been in since high school. Those 6 a.m. workouts are rough but so worth the effort.
 
 

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Written at Friday, January 17, 2014 by Paula.
10 comments
Monday, November 11, 2013
A Thankful Monday
Happy Veteran's Day to all those who have served in our country's military, both past and present. I'm thankful for the sacrifices made by these special men and women.
 
It's been a busy Monday for me. I had a speaking engagement this morning (thankful for that group of young ladies), then I made a quick trip to the grocery store (thankful for the money to buy groceries), and now I'm fixing to tidy up a few hot spots around the house (thankful for the family that makes the mess and for the strength to clean the mess up).

I came across this picture of Shay and Bryn today. It was taken almost exactly nine years ago. Makes me want to cry. Just look at those chubby baby legs!
Okay, no more getting sidetracked; the house won't clean itself! Hope you have a fabulous (thankful) Monday!
 
 
 

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Written at Monday, November 11, 2013 by Paula.
4 comments
Monday, August 26, 2013
Adventures in fish sitting

Last Friday after school Hope begged to bring the class pet home for the weekend. I was hesitant to agree, but her teacher insisted that there was no way on earth we could possibly kill a betta fish. So, "Gilly" the betta fish spent the weekend at our house.

How hard could it possibly be to take care Gilly? All we had to do was leave him in his bowl on the kitchen counter and feed him three pellets of betta fish food each day. Sounds easy enough, right?

All was well until we got home from church Sunday night. I glanced at Gilly as I passed through the kitchen and noticed that he was perfectly still and floating on top of the water. I don't know much about fish, but I do know that when they are floating on top of the water, it is a very bad thing.

I frantically texted Hope's teacher and informed her that Gilly would not be returning to school. I was worried that maybe Hope's teacher had a sentimental attachment to Gilly, but she wasn't upset, just amazed that we had somehow managed to kill a pet fish in just forty-eight hours. Hope was worried that the kids in her sixth grade class would call her "fish-killer", but her teacher promised to help keep Gilly's demise a secret.

Steven drove to the pet store as soon as it opened this morning and purchased a replacement fish that was as close to Gilly's dark blue with green coloring as he could find. Then he drove to another pet store just to make sure that he had one that looked as much like Gilly as possible. (Isn't he awesome?) He felt pretty good about the fish he had purchased, so he headed to the school to drop off the *new* Gilly. Hope's classmates just thought that Gilly came to school late and didn't notice anything was different.

So, everything turned out fine in the end, though I don't think Hope will be bringing the class pet home again any time soon.

 

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Written at Monday, August 26, 2013 by Paula.
5 comments
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
First Day of School 2013
L-R: Shay 10th, Case 8th, Hope 6th, Bryn 4th

The kids started a brand new school year on Monday. Don't they look thrilled? They actually really were ready to go back to school. Three days in, and they are still all smiles. We'll see how long that lasts.

 

For those of you who have been reading here for a while, do you remember this picture?

2007

 

 

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Written at Wednesday, August 21, 2013 by Paula.
4 comments
Thursday, July 18, 2013
Week 2 at the beach

We've been staying at a resort at Pensacola Beach this week. It's the most beautiful, relaxing spot. I'm missing the rest of our family like crazy. Steven and I haven't spent this long apart since we started dating twenty years ago. I can't wait to see him (and Case) again in just a few more days. In the meantime, the girls and I will soak up a little more sun and surf.

 

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Written at Thursday, July 18, 2013 by Paula.
3 comments
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
Soliloquy

I hope you enjoy Shay's recital performance of Soliloquy at Pensacola Christian College's summer music camp.

ETA: The link should work now.

 

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Written at Tuesday, July 16, 2013 by Paula.
3 comments
Thursday, July 11, 2013
Unwind

I mentioned in my last post that I had some trouble getting our reservation confirmed prior to our arrival at the resort we were staying at for the first week of our trip. Thankfully, our check-in was smooth, and we were soon unpacked and ready to relax. We were very pleased with our condo unit, and Hope and Bryn were super excited about the bunk beds. I thought that was funny since they sleep in bunk beds all the time. I guess it's the novelty of sleeping in bunk beds on vacation.

Apparently the Panama City Beach area had rain for the two weeks prior to our visit. In fact, one of the resort staff members said that they had over 20 inches in 72 hours last week. Some of the streets were closed due to flooding. It rained the first day we were here, but it's been mostly sunny since then. We found a good church to attend on Sunday and spent some time at the pool relaxing that afternoon. It was overcast, but Shay and I were still able to take a walk on the beach. She wanted to enjoy it as long as possible since it was the last day she would be with us.

Monday we drove about 2 hours west to Pensacola. Shay is attending a two week music camp at Pensacola Christian College. She's had a goal for several months to attend the camp and worked really hard on the piano this year. She received the highest score at a huge competition back in April and was awarded a scholarship. The scholarship didn't cover the entire cost of music camp, but it was still a help. Shay is having a great time at camp. Her days are crammed full of music lessons and classes in hymn play, theory, music appreciation, performance, and chamber music. She's in the choir as well and has two practices for that each day. She has been placed in a chamber duet and is also accompanying for a strings group. She's preparing for a recital and concert at the end of camp. It's exhausting, but she's in her element and having a fantastic time. She's also getting her first taste of college campus life. Good stuff.

My mom and I drove back to Panama City Beach with the little girls late Monday, and we've spent the last few days relaxing. I could get used to this.

 

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Written at Thursday, July 11, 2013 by Paula.
8 comments
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Great Joy


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Written at Tuesday, December 18, 2012 by Paula.
3 comments
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Homework

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Written at Wednesday, December 12, 2012 by Paula.
3 comments
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Birthday Girl
Curly Girl turned 11 today. I love you, my Hope!

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Written at Tuesday, November 20, 2012 by Paula.
1 comments
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Jump!
Shay (wearing the red jersey) just finished her season on the JV volleyball team. This was her first year on the team, and she did a great job! Her height and those long arms come in very handy at the net.

The thing that impressed me the most about her being on the team actually took place off the court. At the beginning of the season, Shay agreed to get up early every morning and spend some time practicing piano before school so that volleyball practices and games wouldn't interfere with the one hour a day of piano practice her piano instructor requires. She is so not a morning person, but she kept her word and got up early each day even when she was tired out from getting home late at night after out-of-town volleyball games. I'm proud of you, Shay!

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Written at Thursday, October 25, 2012 by Paula.
3 comments
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Trip to Georgia
Last weekend our family traveled back to our "old" church in Eatonton, Georgia, to be part of its 25th Anniversary service. This was such an exciting trip for us, especially for the kids since it had been almost three years since our last visit. We had such a good time visiting with all of our friends at Grace Baptist, and we're thrilled with what the Lord is continuing to there through their faithfulness.
I sure do miss the beautiful views of the land and Lake Oconee.



The current pastor and the three previous pastors (including my hubby) all had a part in the service. The auditorium's renovation was recently completed, and I loved the new look!

Evangelist Kurt LeBouve sang several songs and preached the afternoon service. He and Mrs. Dale are such sweet people! I heard a little rumor that they just might be with us next month at our church.

This is what the kids looked like when we moved back to Florida in 2008.
And just look at them now!

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Written at Wednesday, October 10, 2012 by Paula.
7 comments
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Flying airplanes...
of the paper variety. A fun diversion on a rainy afternoon.


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Written at Wednesday, September 19, 2012 by Paula.
0 comments
Friday, August 24, 2012
First Day of School 2012
The kids have made through their first week back to school. Bryn is now in third grade, Hope is in fifth, Case is in seventh, and Shay is a freshman (or freshWOMAN) in high school!!! My, how the time is flyin' by! Just look at this picture from the first day of school five years ago. Makes me want to cry!

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Written at Friday, August 24, 2012 by Paula.
3 comments
Monday, August 13, 2012
Sisters
Bookworm treated her little sisters to a "Spa Day" complete with bubble baths, fuzzy bathrobes, and new hairdos. They really enjoyed being pampered.

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Written at Monday, August 13, 2012 by Paula.
3 comments
Saturday, March 03, 2012
"Promise of Spring"
Here's a clip of Shay playing recently at the FFMC Jr. District Festival.

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Written at Saturday, March 03, 2012 by Paula.
5 comments
Where did February go?
March is already here; I have no idea where February went. Story of my life. Ahem.

Everyone in our house is aging rapidly, and I've got proof. Three of the kids had birthdays since I last posted.

Case turned 12. He's all boy. Enough said.

Bryn, my Lil' Nut, turned 8. She's sharp as a tack.

Shay, my Bookworm, is now 14 and 5' 8". I wish you could hear her play the piano; she is one talented girl. We're going to have to lock her up and throw away the key.

So that's my quick update. Have a fabulous weekend!

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Written at Saturday, March 03, 2012 by Paula.
2 comments